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What it really means when you call blk hair /napē/.

/napē/ Urban Dictionary defines Tightly coiled / curled unaltered hair. Coiled hair in its natural state. Found on people of African descent who do not chemically alter their hair texture.

Although most natural hair enthusiasts have taken back /napē/, one cannot ignore the connotation it holds when used to texture shame blk hair.

Through a colloquially dervived perspectives of

/napē/ is a demeaning term to blk folk who’s hair breaks socially constructed norms of beauty.

The natural hair movement resurfaced around 2010, more powerful than ever. With that, the natural hair ‘typing system’ surfaced along side with it. The hair typing system breaks down hair textures into different categories. From the straightest 1a to the tighest being 4c.

Translated to the creation to socialize people into the caterogies of /ɡo͝od/ vs /napē/.

Blk hair has always been liberating. When our ancestors were enslaved, the first thing dwights did was shave their heads. Their hair was powerful and revolutionary and once it was stripped it was easier to succumb to vulnerability.

Natural hair is a deviance. Natural hair is radical. Natural hair directly challenges beauty norms constructed to adhere to whiteness.

When you call my hair /napē/ you are demeaning the carefreeness our ancestors possessed.

When you call my hair /napē/ you are demeaning the black revolutionaries whose hair were statements.

When you call my hair /napē/ you are telling me that the closer my hair is to whiteness, the prettier it is. And the more it deviates, the

/napē[ier]/ it becomes.

Good hair is not monolithic. But of course I got good hair, I got African in me.

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Blk Women Killed, Because The said no

Credit: MagicallyMelinated_ (Insta)

Nova Henry

Lavena Johnson

Cherica Adams

April Jace

Julia Martin

Jessica Hampton

Stephanie Goodloe

Janese Talton-Jackson

Kasandra Perkins

Mary Spears

Tiarah Poyau

Remember their names as we navigate though October.

Remember the black women

Remember the trans women/men/non binary

Remember the gay women/men/non binary

Remember the ones who’ve lost their lives at the hands of Domestic Violence, abuse, and hyper masculinity.

Remember their names.

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Blueberry Strobe Lights

One month ago, my cohort and I went to audit Dr. Richard Milner V’s lecture on “Disrupting Punitive Practices and Polices” at the annual AERA Brown lecture. Doing his lecture, he spoke of a term called “vicarious trauma.” Vicarious Trauma is defined by the American Counseling Association as “ the emotional residue of exposure that [people] have from working [or hearing] traumatic stories [from people] and become witnesses to the pain, fear, and terror that trauma survivors have endured.”

Dr. Milner spoke of this synonymously with interactions with law enforcement. Whilst driving, Dr. Milner attention was captivated by the blueberry strobe lights behind him. Nervously, he pulled over only for the cop to continue pass his vehicle. Most people would exhale a sigh of relief, knowing that they were not the intended target, right? Wrong. Dr. Milner expressed his feelings of fear, restless, and rippling anxiety as he began to ponder what if.

Vicarious Trauma is something I know all to well. Operating as a black woman in a *foreign* land, with $700 worth of expired tags, I drive in fear. but I drive because I have places to go. Yesterday, when I was turning into my driveway, I was halted and attention captivated by the blueberry strobe lights. I felt my heart simultaneously slow down and speed up, my hands battled between clammy and moist, my throat tightened, as I fought the tears forming in my eyes. It wasn’t about the fear of being cited a ticket, it was the fear of that being my last experience.

After being let off with a warning, everything should be turned back to normal—right? Wrong. My legs quaked, my hands shook, as I tried to gather the strength to walk into the house. I reached my door, closed the door, and lost everything I was holding in.

The relationship I have with law enforcement is permanently tainted by the blood shed of my people.

Sunday, December 2nd 2018, at 12:37 AM.

[blknerased]

Blk Women Killed, Because The said no

Credit: MagicallyMelinated_ (Insta)

Nova Henry

Lavena Johnson

Cherica Adams

April Jace

Julia Martin

Jessica Hampton

Stephanie Goodloe

Janese Talton-Jackson

Kasandra Perkins

Mary Spears

Tiarah Poyau

Remember their names as we navigate though October.

Remember the black women

Remember the trans women/men/non binary

Remember the gay women/men/non binary

Remember the ones who’ve lost their lives at the hands of Domestic Violence, abuse, and hyper masculinity.

Remember their names.

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Haitian woman defending her son in the Dominican Republic.

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Spectrum of blackness.

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Solute to Black Doctors

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The depths of Slut-Shaming.

With slut-walking activists and advocacy peaks of sexual liberation surfaced, judgemental attitudes flolicked adjacent to the topic.

What does it mean to be a slut?

Does your definition relate to a man?

Are they sluts because of the number of sexual partner they’ve had?

Whether or not birthing bodies have had abortions?

What is your perception of exotic dancers/strippers and sex workers?

Are male dancers and sex workers unfit husbands and fathers?

Are they sluts? Or is it okay because they forfill your Magic Mike fantasy.

How do you perceive people with sexually transmitted dieases?

Are they sluts? Or are they just people trying to exist in the world?

People who deviate from traditional jobs to make a living. Whose job, also, does not effect their character as a wife or mother.

Many people deal with their Sexually Transmitted Dieases in shame. Because they’re shamed by the culture. They’re just trying to live their lives.

Slut-shaming is misogynistic (external and internal), sexist trope that is used against women that don’t follow the cookie-cutter routine of what it means to be a woman.

Those reading this affected by STDs/STIs/VDs/etc, you’re life ain’t over. It’s evolving into something different. There’s always support group to help you through these times. Love and light on your journeys.

Those reading who’ve had multiple sex partners, abortions, deviate from traditional jobs, or gone through different aspects with their bodies, your bodies are yours. No one else’s. Meaning no one holds rank to shame you about anything you’ve done / going to do.

Our bodies are our bodies and no one can make us feel inferior about it without our consent.

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Happy Birthday to the legendary leader and activist Marcus Garvey. He was one of the first figures to promote black unity and power! ✊🏾🙏🏾 (at Athens, Georgia)

[blknerased]

What it really means when you call blk hair /napē/.

/napē/ Urban Dictionary defines Tightly coiled / curled unaltered hair. Coiled hair in its natural state. Found on people of African descent who do not chemically alter their hair texture.

Although most natural hair enthusiasts have taken back /napē/, one cannot ignore the connotation it holds when used to texture shame blk hair.

Through a colloquially dervived perspectives of

/napē/ is a demeaning term to blk folk who’s hair breaks socially constructed norms of beauty.

The natural hair movement resurfaced around 2010, more powerful than ever. With that, the natural hair ‘typing system’ surfaced along side with it. The hair typing system breaks down hair textures into different categories. From the straightest 1a to the tighest being 4c.

Translated to the creation to socialize people into the caterogies of /ɡo͝od/ vs /napē/.

Blk hair has always been liberating. When our ancestors were enslaved, the first thing dwights did was shave their heads. Their hair was powerful and revolutionary and once it was stripped it was easier to succumb to vulnerability.

Natural hair is a deviance. Natural hair is radical. Natural hair directly challenges beauty norms constructed to adhere to whiteness.

When you call my hair /napē/ you are demeaning the carefreeness our ancestors possessed.

When you call my hair /napē/ you are demeaning the black revolutionaries whose hair were statements.

When you call my hair /napē/ you are telling me that the closer my hair is to whiteness, the prettier it is. And the more it deviates, the

/napē[ier]/ it becomes.

Good hair is not monolithic. But of course I got good hair, I got African in me.

[blknerased]

Good hair is not monolithic. But of course I got good hair, I got African in me.

Blk & E’rased.

[blknerased]

Dating While Woke Part II: Relationship Application.

Next relationship I get in, I’m making them fill out an mf application with the following criteria.

Must be:

• Black

(Non black folk may still apply but have to recognize and acknowledge the privileges they posses ; Nigga/er users, MAGA hat wearing, Dreadlock having, Blue Lives Matter believing, confederate flag anarchists will be blocked and fought on sight)

• Preferably tall

• Preferably dark-skin

(However all appearances and body shapes will be thoroughly considered because ya girl don’t discriminate)

• Passionate about Social Justice but NOT A HOTEP

(Any hotep based applications will be immediately disregarded and tossed)

• does not contribute to misogynoir, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, xenophobia, ableism, slut shaming, classism, fat shaming, etc

• Believes In women’s reproductive rights (abortion/ pro choice, birth control, not wanting kids, etc.)

• Culturally enlightened

• basketball fan.

(Lakers, Warriors, and Lebron fans will be side eyed but not dismissed)

• Adore me as blk women and treats me as equal.

open to blk men, women, non binarys, gender non conformist, trans folk, etc.

Signed a newly outed pan and fed up blk femme.

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SAY HER NAME

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Seven transgender women of color were murdered in the United States during the first two months of the year 2017. Black trans women are disproportionately impacted by structural and state sanctioned violence that impacts socio-economic growth and development and is inextricably linked to physical violence. They continue to be denied access to housing, healthcare, employment and educational opportunities. Black trans women have been forced into the most marginalized places in our society, and this puts their lives in jeopardy on a daily basis. Activists gathered in front of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY to rally in response to the recent deaths of black trans women and demand an end to the violence and liberation of black trans bodies. 

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